Stories about Chinese from April, 2013
China Earthquake Donation Protected by Spell
Hong Kong based inmediahk.net's Facebook page shared an image circulated widely on Chinese social media which shows spells written on money, that says, “This is a donation for a Ya'an earthquake victim, those who dare to misuse this money will go to hell.”
Chinese Corruption Spreading to Hong Kong “Like SARS & Avian Flu”
A misconduct scandal implicating Timothy Tong, the former chief of the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), has Hong Kong and mainland Chinese people worried that ubiquitous corruption in China has spread to Hong Kong.
Hong Kong Boycotts Donations for Sichuan Earthquake
HK Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying’s call for donations to China’s quake-hit Sichuan province has been denied by legislature due to overwhelming opposition by Hongkong citizens.
Chinese and Western Media Bias Claims in Xinjiang “Terrorist Attack”
A terror incident took place in Bachu County of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region on April 23 2013, in which 15 police officers and community workers were killed and 6 suspects were shot dead. Chinese media outlets depicted the incident as a terrorist attack and criticized western media for not using the term "terrorists" to describe the suspects.
Social Media’s Role in the Sichuan Earthquake
ChinaFile and TeaLeafNation analyzed the important role social media has played in the aftermath of the Sichuan earthquake that has killed 208 people. Social media's instant reactions to the quake has made a difference when compared to the coverage of the 2008 earthquake dominated by China's state media.
Cheap Gold Puts China in a Frenzy
Mainland Chinese tourists tempted by the plunging price of gold emptied Hong Kong's local banks and jewelry shops over the weekend of the precious metal.
China Says ‘No’ to Japan's Earthquake Aid Offer
The Chinese government has turned down Japan’s offer to help with relief efforts following an earthquake in China's southwest Sichuan province that left at least 193 people dead and more than 12,000 injured.
“Tell Everyone I'm not Free”
The wife of jailed Chinese Nobel laureate Liu Xiaobo has been seen in public for the first time on April 23 after years under house arrest.On her way to the trial of her brother who has been accused of real estate fraud, she shouted to the public: “Tell everyone I'm...
Hong Kong Man Arrested for Cursing China's President with Graffiti
The excessive use of police force in the recent arrest of a man who wrote graffiti cursing the Chinese President has outraged many in Hong Kong.
Chinese President Xi Jinping's ‘Fake’ Taxi Ride Fools State Media
China's state news agency is backpedaling on a report it endorsed that appeared in Beijing-backed Hong Kong newspaper about Chinese President Xi Jinping hailing a taxi last month in order to chat with the cabby about the issues of the day, calling the piece "fake news".
Netizens Tell Red Cross China to Get Lost
A 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit Lushan county of Ya'an city in southwest China's Sichuan Province at 8:02 AM local time today. The Red Cross Society in China posted in its official micro-blog [zh] expressing its concern over the disaster. However, many Chinese netizens who still remember the organization's corruption scandal...
East Asia's Appetite for Eels Pushing Species to the Brink
During Japan's sweltering midsummer it's traditional to eat a plate of golden-brown broiled unagi kabayaki, or broiled eel. But the tradition is now at risk. Skyrocketing demand for glass eels, once considered a high-brow delicacy, is pushing Japanese fishermen to exhaust the population and causing prices to soar.
China Bans Media from Quoting Foreign News
China's media authority announced new regulations banning news outlets and other organizations from reporting on foreign news coverage without permission less than a day after The New York Times won a Pulitzer Prize for its report on the hidden wealth of Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao's family.
China Comes Down on Apple After Calling Company ‘Arrogant’
China's industry and commerce authority has said that it will tighten its oversight of Apple as well as punish the technology giant for failing to comply with Chinese laws following a month-long media blitz accusing the company of "arrogance". The announcement came after Apple's public apology and some Chinese netizens described the incident as a drama of Rashomon.
Chinese Social Web Foils Censors to Honor Reformer Hu Yaobang
Chinese Web users skirted the country's tough Internet censors to pay homage to former communist party leader and popular reformer Hu Yaobang, whose death 24 years ago sparked the violent Tiananmen Square protests.
Chinese React to Boston Marathon Explosions
US's quick reaction to the Boston Marathon explosions have Chinese netizens imagining how the Chinese government would react to such a situation in China. Offbeat China has translated some comments from Sina Weibo.
China's Anti-Japanese TV War Dramas Knocked for Vulgarity
The Chinese entertainment industry's incessant production of anti-Japanese TV dramas, under the scrutiny of netizens for a while now, has hit a nerve with China's state-controlled media after two photographs from a war drama showing a nude girl saluting a group of Chinese soldiers leaked online.
China Yanks ‘Django Unchained’ from Theaters
Chinese censors abruptly pulled the Oscar-winning movie “Django Unchained” from the country’s cinemas on the day of its premiere in an unexpected about-face after the movie's week-long promotion in China.
China Puts Ancient Buddhist Temple on Chopping Block
Local Chinese authorities, in a bid to preserve parts of the historic Silk Road trade route, have ordered the destruction of the ancient Xingjiao Temple, which holds the remains of 7th-century Buddhist monk Xuan Zang.
China Pulls ‘Django Unchained’
Chinese cinemas cancelled all screenings of Quentin Tarantino's “Django Unchained” last minute on April 11 due to “technical reasons”. Netizens think the theme on freedom is the main reason for the cancellation. Journalist Wu Yonggang wrote[zh] on Sina Weibo, which translated as: The technical issue is a small problem, the bigger...
Every Minute Six Patients are Diagnosed with Cancer in China
It's official. The 'plague' of cancer is at the center of a major public health crisis in China. Six patients are diagnosed with cancer every minute, that's 8,550 new cancer patients every day, according to the 2012 China Cancer Census.
About our Chinese coverage
Oi wan Lam is the North East Asia editor. Email her story ideas or volunteer to write.
